Typical utility vehicles, such as compact tractors, utilize an engine operating substantially at a pre-selected speed that drives a transmission system or drive train that delivers power to one or more driven wheels. The transmission system includes a speed controllable transmission component, a gear selection component, and a differential component. The speed controllable transmission component can be, for example, a hydrostatic transmission, or a transmission that uses electro-hydraulically controlled forward and reverse clutch packs to initially accelerate the vehicle and to change vehicle direction (hereinafter referred to as a “reverser transmission”), such as a POWRREVERSER™ transmission incorporated in JOHN DEERE Series 4000 tractors.
When using a backhoe attachment on a compact utility vehicle, it is sometimes necessary to move the utility vehicle forward or backward by small amounts and/or at slow speeds. For example, when excavating a trench, the backhoe must be moved rearward periodically as the trench progresses. For utility vehicles having a front facing seat for driving the vehicle and a rear facing seat for operating the backhoe, or a flip seat which is alternately the front facing and the rear facing seat, the forward and reverse controls are located proximate the front facing seat. It is not practical to move the tractor using the controls without the operator having to move from the rear seat to the front seat. Thus, the operator typically moves the vehicle by planting the backhoe bucket into the ground and hydraulically moving the backhoe, by extending or retracting the backhoe boom and/or rotating the backhoe bucket to trust the vehicle forward or backward using the reaction force from the backhoe. The resultant movement of the utility vehicle is “jerky” and uncomfortable to the operator. Also, moving the utility vehicle in this manner can damage the ground or turf depending on the circumstances.
For a utility vehicle having a hydrostatic transmission and operated by foot controls, it is not practical to reach the foot controls while seated facing rearward while operating the backhoe. In a compact tractor that utilizes a front seat for operating the hydrostatic transmission and a rear seat for operating the backhoe, it is not practical to rotate the seat from a rearward position facing the backhoe to a frontward driving position. There is not ample room in a compact vehicle to accomplish this task. It is also not considered to be a good practice for an operator to attempt to operate the hydrostatic transmission with the front foot controls while seated facing rearward.
The present inventors have recognized the desirability of providing a utility vehicle that can be effectively driven at a controlled speed by an operator seated at a back of the vehicle, facing rearward.